Sh! Good Things Happening

A sense of stillness has gently floated to our home providing us with some peace that has long been awaited. We’re thankful to the many people who have cared about Lewy’s unexpected and unwanted presence in our house.

Most of you know of our many fish tanks that fill our rooms. Bob’s saltwater itch continues to pull at his wallet. Each coral and fish add a new dimension to our tanks. They certainly help calm jittery nerves and worried minds. We’ve named most of the fish. The first two clowns in my tank were named Max and Erma. Max was after the young guy who helped set up the tank. Erma came along as a favorite site of our daughter. The radiant wrasse has the clever name of Ray. Urple and Ed were named with my grandson’s two-year old speech of not including initial consonant phoneme. I’ll let you figure out more specifics from the name hints. Nessie is as ugly as the Lock Ness Monster, but much more photogenic. Fred is well, a Fred.

One of the young guys who weekly come to clean the tanks will be heading off to Ecuador in another week. That’s unusual enough but the unique factor is that he has a one-way ticket. He’s in his early 20’s and fell in love with this locale when he visited it during high school. I give him credit for following a dream and jumping right in there. That’s pretty exciting since I don’t do any jumping anymore partially due to my physical characteristics. I would be very leery to travel thousands of miles with limited specific plans such as incidentals like an exact place to reside or specific job to have. I like a roof over my head and some money in my purse, or at least a handy-dandy plastic card. I wish him luck though as he follows a dream.

Why are most of us afraid to follow dreams that are much easier to chase than an address change to a distant country? We stay in our own ruts, scared to even let a toe cross that line of monotony. We sit in the same place around the dinner table and church pews. Heck, Bob and I even have assigned ends of the couch. We drive the same way to work, have strict morning and bedtime routines, and travel identical paths on everything in between. Live a little and switch it up a bit. I might even eat a different breakfast cereal switching from my usual morning meal. My total lack of any cognition of ANYTHING happening prior to noon may have a huge impact on this one.

We have partially adopted Steve, the other young man who weekly comes to brush the teeth of our fish. (That’s another long story brought about by our grandsons. Just go with the flow.) It seems like Steve is always carrying things upstairs or to the basement for us. He automatically brings in the garbage cans and walks Einstein. He’s truly another blessing straight from heaven.

The people associated with our church’s preschool have adopted me, letting my worries rest in their arms. They care about both Bob and I. How blessed I am to have obtained these women as part of my help team.

Tomorrow is more of the same. I get to join Bob with his friends as we head to the football stadium and root for Northwestern. Bob has traveled with these good friends for many a fight with the pigskin. (Don’t I sound like a football expert with terms like the pigskin?) Then we hurry home so we can have the chance in the evening to get to see a friend who was a groomsman in our wedding. We have unfortunately lost touch as the years have zipped by. It will be good getting to see him again. We’re just the same as our wedding date PLUS over 100 pounds between the two of us. I hope he can still recognize us.

Bob has started a new medicine promising help for his nightmares and hallucinations. My support group has given resounding applause for this small pill, so I have been curious about the results for here in our home. After two days, I have not been disappointed. Bob could not remember any nightmares from last night. That alone is a miracle! The hallucinations have been reduced. Less “critters” joined us tonight as we were watching TV. Steve didn’t know about the new drug, but commented that Bob was way more alert today. Thanks God. Life is good.

So keep that serenity coming. May you all have a fabulous early fall weekend. Jack Frost is starting to visit here and drip some sparkling colors on our trees. It will be absolutely gorgeous in another two weeks. Meanwhile, I’ll sit in quiet wonder at the good things that surround me, everything from colored leaves, men in tight pants running around after a squished ball, helpful friends, darling grandsons, new medications, young minds and a goofy pooch. Ah, life is good.

God Uses Our Love to Prove that Life is Good

        I get to see all of the above with Bob, my best friend.